Services set to benefit from our Innovation Fund

Throughout the year Ypeople’s fundraising team organises a variety of events to allow current and new friends of the charity to take an active role in supporting the work we do. All the funds raised at these events, including our Yladies Lunch and Fashion Show in June and Yball in October, go directly towards helping some of the country’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged people.

Each year we distribute these funds via our Innovation Fund to our network of services across Scotland. Each of our 15 services is invited to apply for a share of the money to use for activities and events which they feel will benefit service users.

In 2011, we raised over £18,000 for our Innovation Fund, and so far we have had some extremely worthwhile applications for funding from our services. From journalism workshops for residents in our Edinburgh services, to new outdoor sports equipment for our Branston Court community garden and internet training for our out of school service at St. Bernard’s, all the funds we raise are used to provide resources to bring added-value benefits to our services.

We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported Ypeople over the past year – please be sure to check our website for updates on how your support is helping to make a difference in 2012.

Extending support across the west of Scotland

Since our establishment we have consistently grown and developed the size and scope of the work we undertake. We now operate 15 diverse services across the central belt - in Glasgow, Falkirk, South Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire and Edinburgh.

We are delighted to announce 2012 will see us further extend our network of services after our success in being awarded the right to provide community based housing support services to individuals and families in East Dunbartonshire.

This new project, scheduled to run for an initial two year period, will allow us to employ two additional members of staff who will work in partnership with our teams at Branston Court in Maryhill and our City Centre project to carry out our work in East Dunbartonshire. We look forward to getting the service up and running, keep an eye on our website for developments throughout the year.

New headline sponsor for our Yladies Lunch and Fashion Show

Following the sell-out success of last year’s Yladies Lunch and Fashion Show, we are thrilled to announce the popular event will return even bigger and better this summer – with brand new headline sponsors Taggarts Motor Group.

The ladies event will again be held at popular Glasgow City Centre venue, the Radisson Blu Hotel on Saturday, June 23rd. Guests will enjoy a two course lunch, fashion show and access to a wide range of retail exhibitors.

New sponsor,Taggarts Motor Group, have been extremely generous in their support, and will be providing top prizes for the raffle, including the use of a Jaguar car for a whole weekend. Taggarts Motor Group is one of the best-known names in the Scottish motor trade. Since it was established in 1896, the business has grown from strength to strength and now has two showrooms –in Glasgow and Motherwell. The firm offers a diverse range of quality motor brands including Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, Nissan, Hyundai and Peugeot. We are confident the support of Taggarts Motor Group will allow us to exceed the enormous success of last year’s Yladies Lunch, which raised £8,000 for our network of services.

Holyrood in sight for Seaforth House residents

Tuesday March 6th marked a very special day for a group of youngsters from our Seaforth House project when a film they produced was screened at the Scottish Parliament.

Fourteen service users from our Falkirk-based supported accommodation project wrote and directed a short drama, entitled ‘Speak Out’, to encourage other adolescents to share their own problems. The group of 18-25 year olds created the film after receiving training in filmmaking from Shooters – the film production arm of acclaimed actor David Hayman’s charity Spirit Aid.

‘Speak Out’ was screened at an exclusive event at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, hosted by MSP Siobhan McMahon, with guests being treated to an introductory presentation from David Hayman.

The actor, best known for his extensive television and theatre work, set up Spirit Aid to provide assistance to children and young people who have been adversely affected by poverty and war. Shooters encourages youngsters to express their experiences and emotions through the medium of film.

David Hayman said: “Ypeople’s Seaforth House residents have produced a very powerful and moving film about their lives. It is an important piece of work, made exclusively by the young people themselves, and I hope it will be an inspiration for other young people to tell their own stories.

“My congratulations go to the team at Shooters, the staff at Ypeople and the young people who made the production possible by courageously opening their hearts to these stories.”

The film explores a range of complex issues faced by young people today including bullying, domestic violence, self harm, suicide and sexual abuse. The aim of ‘Speak Out’ is to persuade youngsters to confide in others and seek help, rather than suffer alone.

Joe Connolly, Chief Executive Officer of Ypeople, said: “We would like to say a big thank you to David Hayman and the team at Shooters for making this film possible.

“The level of support, encouragement and professional advice provided to our young people by the team was exceptional. We hope the messages contained in the film will reach a wide audience and young people will feel confident to speak out and seek advice in times of need.”

Welcome to Ypeople’s new look newsletter

Joe Connolly, Chief Executive Officer of Ypeople:

While the time for wishing one another ‘Happy New Year’ has passed, we can still take a moment to look ahead with a great sense of optimism and hope for the opportunities which are available to Ypeople in 2012. Just as we will enjoy watching the Beechgrove Garden inspired community garden at Branston Court grow and flourish as the year goes on we also look forward to seeing our services and service users go from strength to strength.

The valuable work which we undertake across Scotland continues to pay dividends, with that success being measured in the positive progress which our service users make. Without the sterling efforts of our staff and continued support from friends of the charity, Ypeople would not be able to deliver the high standard of care and support which we have come to be known for.

I would like to thank all those who supported us in 2011 and I am delighted to announce our hard working fundraising team are already working on a busy calendar of events, including some exciting new additions, for 2012. Already we have received word of a new service in East Dunbartonshire and our Calm service in the south-west of Glasgow is to be rolled out in other areas of the city in conjunction with the local health board. It is always pleasing when the positive impact which our work has on young people is recognised and in cases like this is given the opportunity to help more young people in need. It is, however, with some regret that Ypeople will be transferring its Asylum Services to Serco Civil Government following an extensive and lengthy tender process.

It is significant that all of the UK Asylum Services have been awarded to three multi-national companies, Serco Civil Government, G4S and Reliance, which is consistent with UK Government tender process. Ypeople have a contract extension until November this year and will work towards ensuring minimum disruption to service users and protection of staff terms and conditions under TUPE regulations.

There will always be challenges which face organisations like Ypeople but I am a firm believer that first and foremost ours is a people-focused organisation which exists thanks to the dedication of our team to help those in need fulfil their potential in life. It is for that reason, coupled with your ongoing support that Ypeople looks forward to the future with expectation and determination.